This invention pertains to the field of networked computer systems, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for managing event data for multiple clients in a network.
The task of creating client/server architectures to promote the efficient processing of data is a constant challenge in the computer industry. As disclosed in the copending U.S. Application above, a universal event browser allows a client to access network event data generated by a corresponding network application, or network system. The architecture disclosed for each client access to the network is supported by a single event server for each client. Within that architecture, an event server (which in the application is referred to as a product specific interface) is initially populated with network event data and then maintains event data specifically related to a corresponding client. In that architecture, a one-to-one relationship between an event server and a client means that event changes made by a Client A are not reflected in other clients because the event server corresponding to Client A only comprises the single connection to Client A, and cannot broadcast changes to other clients.
In many instances, it may be beneficial for every client in the network to have access to the most updated event data at all times. While a given event server comprises event data for the entire network, only event data for a corresponding client, and not all network clients, is updated by the given event server. Its corresponding client, therefore, does not have access to updated event data from other clients. A need exists, therefore, for an apparatus and a method of managing event data for multiple clients such that every client has access to the most updated event data on the network.
This invention is, in general, directed to an apparatus and method for managing data for a plurality of clients interfacing with a network. Thus, the invention may comprise an apparatus for managing data for a plurality of clients interfacing with a network, comprising a number of computer readable media, and computer readable program code stored on the computer readable media, where the computer readable program code comprises code for implementing a data server comprising a number of interface socket connections, said code for implementing a data server comprising: program code for creating a data store, wherein the data store comprises data items generated from network systems in the network; program code for establishing a connection instance between each of said number of interface socket connections and each of the clients desiring access to the data store, and each connection instance corresponds to a different one of the clients; and program code for creating a connection instance object for each connection instance, wherein each connection instance object comprises attributes determined by its corresponding client, and each connection instance object provides its corresponding client with access to the data store.
The invention may also comprise an apparatus for managing event data for a plurality of clients interfacing with a network, comprising a number of computer readable media, and computer readable program code stored on said number of computer readable media, where the computer readable program code comprises code for implementing an event server comprising a number of interface socket connections, comprising: program code for creating an event store, wherein the event store comprises events generated from network systems in the network; program code for establishing a connection instance between each of said number of interface socket connections and each of the clients desiring access to the event store, wherein each connection instance corresponds to a different one of the clients; and program code for creating a connection instance object for each connection instance, wherein each connection instance object comprises attributes determined by its corresponding client, and each connection instance object provides its corresponding client with access to said event store.
The invention may also comprise an apparatus for managing event data for a plurality of clients interfacing with a network, comprising a number of computer readable media, where the computer readable program code comprises code for implementing an event server comprising a number of interface socket connections, comprising: program code for creating an event store, wherein the event store comprises events generated from network systems in the network; program code for establishing a connection instance between each of said number of interface socket connections and each of the clients desiring access to the event store, wherein each connection instance corresponds to a different one of the clients; program code for creating a connection instance object for each connection instance, wherein each connection instance object comprises attributes determined by its corresponding client, and each connection instance object provides its corresponding client with access to said event store; program code for detecting requests to perform a number of tasks from the connection instance objects, wherein a given one of the tasks corresponds to a given one of the connection instance objects; program code for creating a command list, wherein the command list comprises tasks; program code for adding a task to the command list; and program code for processing a task, comprising program code for removing a given one of the tasks from the command list and program code for creating a request thread, wherein a given connection instance object executes within said request thread, and the given connection instance object corresponds to said given one of the tasks.
The invention may also comprise a method for managing data for a plurality of clients interfacing with a network by implementing a data server comprising a number of interface socket connections, comprising: creating a data store, wherein the data store comprises data items generated from network systems in the network; establishing a connection instance between each of said number of interface socket connections and each of the clients desiring access to the data store, wherein each connection instance corresponds to a different one of the clients; and creating a connection instance object for each connection instance, wherein each connection instance object comprises attributes determined by its corresponding client, and each connection instance object provides its corresponding client with access to said data store.
This invention may also comprise a data server comprising a number of interface socket connections for an apparatus for managing data for a plurality of clients interfacing with a network, comprising means for creating a data store, where the data store comprises a number of data items generated from a number of network systems in the network, means for establishing a connection instance between each of said number of interface socket connections and each the clients desiring access to the data store, where each connection instance corresponds to a different one of the clients, and means for creating a connection instance object for each connection instance, where each connection instance object comprises attributes determined by its corresponding client, and each connection instance object provides its corresponding client with access to the data store.